LAHORE: Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday refused to hear a plea of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chair-man Imran Khan challenging ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic and Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on airing his speeches and press talks.

The judge recused himself from hearing the petition citing personal reasons and referred the same to Chief Justice for its disposal by some other appropriate bench.

The Pemra had imposed the ban after Imran Khan lashed out at former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa for what he called ‘protecting incumbent rulers in their alleged corruption cases’.

The petitioner through his counsel argued that the Pemra issued the impugned order without having regard to the constitutional rights guaranteed under Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution.

He said a plain reading of section 27 of the Pemra Ordinance, prima-facie, showed that it does not empower the authority to issue a blanket prohibition order. He also pointed out that a judgment handed down by the Islamabad High Court declared a similar prohibition order against the petitioner as ultra vires of the Ordinance.

The petitioner alleged that the Pemra without applying its mind on the behest of the federal government took the illegal and unlawful action against the petitioner to settle political rivalries.

He therefore prayed the court to set aside the impugned ban for being violative to Article 10-A of the constitution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023